


File 1: The Missing Ubert

by TsarAlek



Series: Felix Files [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 1920s, Alternate Universe - Noir, Blood and Injury, Detective Noir, Implied Sexual Content, Lies, M/M, Mafia AU, Minor Character Death, Origin Story, Pillow Talk, Scars, Speakeasies, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:48:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22865836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsarAlek/pseuds/TsarAlek
Summary: Detective Felix Hugo Fraldarius- Private Eye, best in the business, receives a case from a downtrodden looking silver haired man who calls himself Ashe. His sister has been missing for over a month and with no leads- Detective Fraldarius will have to dig into the dark underworld of Mafia dons and capos to search for her kidnapper. Mafiosos and Mafiosas, weapons and alcohol, sex and debauchery- there are so many ways to get into trouble in this ugly city and Felix is about to explore a great many of them to find the missing woman and return her safely to her family and life.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Claude von Riegan, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Claude von Riegan, implied: - Relationship
Series: Felix Files [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643635
Comments: 20
Kudos: 25
Collections: Felix Birthday Week 2020





	1. The Visitor in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 4 of Felix Week: Scars, Happy/Alternative ending, Noir. This monster of 20K words was my favorite fic to write. No one can comprehend the amount of smooth jazz I listened to while writing this and I actually highly suggest you put some on while you read it too. Enjoy the ride- imagine the stench of smoke and lose yourself in the mists of this dark city.

Felix lay back, panting, breath escaping his mouth, charged with heat. Ashe fell atop him, smearing their milky mess all over his chest. He was so divine. His longish hair was tied up in a small ponytail, the rest fell into his beautiful face. His chest met Felix’s, hard, firm, strong; Ashe was truly a creation only the Goddess had the power to bless the world with, and Felix wasn’t even a religious man. 

“Goddess… Felix… I love you.” His chin fell forward, resting on Felix’s chest, rising and falling with every heavy breath as Felix tried to regain some oxygen after their sexual release. Felix lifted his head to drink in the sight of his partner. His green eyes shone brightly, eclipsing even the luster of the green gem in his earring, dangling from his right earlobe. His face shone brightly, skin flushed, smile wide. That… had been a great time. Felix missed Ashe when his work kept him busy working long hours. Sometimes, cases ran long and he couldn’t come home. He was glad that this time he hadn’t been away long, only two days. Every moment away from this man felt like he was missing a vital part of himself. 

“We should clean up.” Felix trailed his hand through Ashe’s hair, freeing the gray locks from their hold. His hair flowed down his neck, stopping just around his collar bones. 

Ashe reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the towel they had placed there, it was still damp, ready to do its job. Ashe wiped their chests down, removing the mess before allowing Felix to clean him out. Felix was gentle, loving, and made quick work. 

Clean, Ashe returned to his position, chin resting on Felix’s toned chest, covered in scars and scrapes, old wounds that had healed but always remained with him. Being a private detective in this city was a dangerous job but one Felix took great pride and pleasure in, despite the hours and threat to his life. Ashe loved Felix’s scars--each one had a story, most of them triumphant, some of them dark and sad. Ashe knew it was a difficult job, especially when Felix remained as clean as possible in this dark and dirty city. Ashe knew about most of the scars but there was one he still hadn’t heard the story of. 

Just below Felix’s right armpit and next to his nipple, there was a large scar, the result of a bullet graze. It was an ugly son of a gun, the scar was deep. No matter how many times Ashe asked about it, Felix refused to tell its tale. 

“Felix… tell me about this one.” Ashe pressed his fingers to the scar, eliciting a flinch from Felix. The skin was sensitive, and he was rather ticklish there. 

“No, you don’t need to know that one.”

“Ah… please? I want to know. You always refuse to tell me about this one.”

With good reason too, Felix didn’t want Ashe to feel guilty. That was no mere scar. Felix earned it while working a case for Ashe many years ago. Felix didn’t want Ashe feeling responsible. But his partner was insistent, unrelenting, stalwart in his assertions. 

“Tell me, I've already heard about the time you got shot in the lung and almost died; surely it can’t be as bad or scary a story as that.” 

“Hmm, I just don’t wanna talk about it, Ashe.”

“Come onnnnnn, please tell me, I’ll tell you a secret if you do.” Ashe smiled, one of those sideways smirky smiles of his, the glint in his eye mischievous. 

Felix couldn’t turn away, what secret did Ashe have that he kept so long from Felix? 

“... Hmmmmmmmmm… Fine. I’ll tell you. But you aren’t allowed to blame yourself.”

“What? Why would I do that?”

“Because I got this one working your case, when we first met. So no guilt, I earned it doing what I love and it’s in no way your responsibility.”

“Okay… I won’t blame myself, tell me the story. I never did get all the details of that case.”

“Alright... “ Felix began to tell the tale.

~~~~~

It was a slow day. Soon the clock would strike ten and Felix would be able to return home to his contraband whiskey. Sure, he was an officer of the law, but banning alcohol was perhaps the most foolish law ever enacted in Fodlan. Here in the city, most cops were crooked or paid off, so the alcohol flowed as though it was legal, and law enforcement turned a blind eye. It all worked out well enough, though corrupt cops brought other issues to this dark city. 

Felix prided himself on his independence. He was not a corrupt copper like them. In fact, he’d had three days on the force then quit, deciding to open his own private agency and he was damn good at it too. He kept clean, as much as he could in this town. He had his dealings with the three families, sure, but he wasn’t on anyone’s payroll. They came to him with problems because they knew he was impartial in the criminal underground; he was objective, he delivered. And thus, he was trusted and respected. 

Murder? He could find the killer. Disappearance? He was the guy. Arson? Easy. Theft? Not an issue. Detective Felix Fraldarius was damn good at his job.

Still, some days were slow. The only job he had today was catching a petty thief who was breaking into houses and stealing women’s undergarments. Felix found him quick enough, solved the case and was paid rather well since his client was of the upper crust--if you could call corrupt politicians upper crust. Truthfully, no one high up the ladder in this city made it there cleanly. 

9:54 PM, so close to closing. Felix began to pack up, loosening his tie, preparing his coat to leave. Winters were cold, though it barely snowed. He was glad he brought his scarf. His neck would freeze over before he made it home otherwise. Felix peeked out the blinds; frost was already encroaching from the edges of the window. By morning, the window would be less a window and more a crystalline barrier. 

Felix shrugged on his coat and turned to leave. A few minutes early wouldn’t harm anything. He wanted to get home and feed his cat, enjoy some of that booze. Yet, to Felix’s surprise, when he turned around there was a man standing in his doorway. Felix hadn’t heard him come in at all, which was wildly unsettling. Felix was a hardened detective: used to being tailed and always on high alert. This man had simply slipped right through all of his defenses. Immediately, Felix’s first thought was  _ assassin.  _ Felix would have lunged for the gun in his desk drawer if it weren’t for the look in the man’s eyes: a look of worry, sadness, lacking any murderous intent. Felix decided this man probably wasn’t an assassin sent to kill him, though he knew plenty of people who would love nothing more than to send him to an early grave. 

Felix put his coat back down and sat in his chair, beckoning the man forward to the chair in front of his desk. He wore a long trench coat and a silver scarf that covered his nose and mouth, yet those eyes--Felix could tell this chap was in a bit of trouble. 

“Sorry for barging in… there was no receptionist.”

_ Dammit.  _ Annette was a sweet girl and had a brilliant mind. She had helped him solve quite a few cases; either by accident or intent. Still, she had a penchant for the cigarette and stepped out at bad times. Felix was going to need to have words with her about that. 

“Not a problem, you caught me just in time. You can hang your coat up there.” Felix beckoned to the coat rack next to his filing cabinet. “Or keep it on, whatever you prefer.”

The stranger with the silver hair unwound his scarf and hung it up with his coat. He was a rather lean man now that Felix got a look at him, and about his height. Felix’s eyes couldn’t be deceived though, he was someone who took care of himself. No doubt under that dress shirt, there were lines of muscle. His face was rather handsome, symmetrical, green eyes with long lashes, supple lips, and a pink blush in his cheeks from the cold. His nose was a sweet apple red. The man sat down and clasped his hands together.

“I need your help. My sister has gone missing.”

~~~~~

_ Subject: Magnolia Ubert, 20 years old, full time student at Cichol University- History major, last heard from over five weeks ago. Place of residence: 133 Lion Street, unit 7. District: University. District control: Blaiddyd. Close friends: unknown, Family: Ashe and Jesper Ubert- brothers, parents deceased. Crime affiliation: none known. _

Felix had to say… It had been quite a long time since he had been given a case to really sink his teeth into. This was an astounding one and he had precious little to even begin his investigation. 

The Ubert family was unremarkable, the parents had died young and left Ashe, his client, with a small inheritance and two young siblings to raise. Ashe put himself through college and was a school teacher. He had saved as much as possible and helped his brother through college and now his sister. He had last heard from her over five weeks ago when she sent him a letter about her classes and telling him she was fine. Felix already contacted the college, she hadn’t shown up to classes for a month and was soon to be booted as a dropout. Ashe didn’t know any of her friends; she didn’t talk about them. She did talk about professors, Ashe was an alumnus and knew quite a few. In fact, Felix was an alumnus there as well, he attained his criminology degree there. Felix had passed by Ashe in college and even shared a bio class together back some years ago, but they were never well acquainted.

Ashe did have a bit of interesting information attached to him when Felix began to dig. Ashe was apparently a former employee of a jazz club in the entertainment district: The Golden Lute. Felix knew the area well enough to know that any establishment in the entertainment district likely belonged to either the Reigan or the Hresvelg family, in this case, the former. In fact, The Golden Lute was a front business for an underground gay club and speakeasy, where Ashe had been a bartender. College was expensive and the Reigan family paid well; it wasn’t surprising Ashe had to resort to working for a crime lord to pay his way through college, despite the danger of being arrested. All the crime families paid hefty sums to ensure their establishments ran well. Cop raids were rare and usually paid for by competition. 

The bell began to ring, signalling the end of classes for the day. It was dark out--the sun set early in winter and the University of Cichol didn’t run classes past seven in the evening.  _ Finally,  _ Felix had been waiting for half an hour to speak to one of Magnolia’s professors.

_ Hanneman Von Essar: Of formerly noble blood, married to the Opera Star Manuela Casagranda. No connections to any crime family. Straight laced man who seems a bit too enthusiastic about his work but otherwise is a kind and gentle person. A harsh but fair professor. _

At least Felix had been able to write some notes about Hanneman from students passing by while he waited. It was important to always know what you were getting into when questioning someone, when it was possible anyways. 

Students began to stream out of the classroom, most looked rather tired and had bags under their eyes. Felix didn’t miss university. He liked what he’d studied here but his career was so much more rewarding. Learning about crime and actively investigating it were two different bulls and he much preferred riding this one. 

Felix stepped into the classroom. The professor had a well kept goatee and his hair had long since grayed. He looked wise and his eyes were full of gentle kindness. A small pair of spectacles sat on his face with a line dividing top from bottom. The professor pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket and searched around his other pockets, seemingly missing whatever he needed.

“Need a light?” 

“Why yes. I can’t seem to find my lighter. I must have left it in my office. Thank you, would you like one?”

Felix nodded, and lit his cigarette before passing the professor his lighter. Felix breathed in; the nicotine immediately rushed through his veins making him feel more alert and awake than he had been all day. The office was out of coffee and Goddess knew his assistant would take ages to buy more; even when she did… it would be a miracle if she brought it back without tripping on a pebble and spilling it all over the street. He had been lacking in energy all day, but as he puffed smoke from his mouth, he felt a tad better. Felix didn’t smoke as often as most people did these days but it was still something he engaged in occasionally.

“Are you the private investigator I conversed with earlier today?”

“Yes, my name is Felix.”

“You may call me Hanneman. So, what can I do for you?”

“I’m looking into the disappearance of Magnolia Ubert, the school said she was a history major and to speak to you.”

“Ah. Yes. I’m the head of the History department here as well as one of her professors. She’s been in many of my classes in the few years she’s been here; she’s magnificently bright and has quite the future ahead of her… Or… well of course she’s missing now. Truth be told, she’s one of my favorite students: she always listened intently, always turned in her assignments, visits my office hours often, and has a vast knowledge of things other than what we’ve studied. Students like her remind me why I started teaching: to help others fulfill their aspirations in life. I was the one who noticed her absences and contacted her elder brother. He was in a few of my classes before and his number was still on file. Do you know what could have happened? I’m terribly worried about her-- it’s unlike her to simply up and disappear. Other students might drop out suddenly, but she is truly a motivated person.”

“I don’t currently have any leads, any information you have would greatly help, even the slightest detail. When did she stop coming to class?”

“I have my attendance records here.” The professor opened his bag and pulled out a folder. “The last day she attended class was four and a half weeks ago: the twenty fifth of the Red Wolf Moon. There was a three day weekend so all of the students were free the following Monday. Tuesday she never showed up to class, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”

“Why did you not contact anyone about her absences earlier?”

“Well… about two weeks later I received a letter from her.” Hanneman dug into his bag again and pulled out an open envelope. “Addressed to me. She said that she was sick and wouldn’t be attending class for some time. I sent her a letter back containing classwork and some information for the project we were working on but I never received a reply. Eventually, I became worried and decided to call her brother, who hadn’t heard anything at all about her being sick. You’re free to take this if you need it.” 

Felix took the letter and deposited it in his leather bag. “You said you were working on a project together?”

“Yes. Lately she had been interested in genealogy: particularly relating to formerly noble houses. The Essar house was noble before the monarchy was abolished and the republic was formed last century. I track my own genealogy and the genealogy of other formerly noble houses and she was particularly interested. She turned to me to learn how to start. I chose a few noble houses from across the republic for her to study. She was supposed to report her findings that Tuesday.”

“I see. Was there anything about her prior to her disappearance that suggested she was in danger? Was anyone following her? Was she nervous? Had anything changed about her demeanor?”

“No, nothing. The University is well guarded, the campus is open so anyone may enter but it’s heavily guarded since the bomb threat during the gang wars a few years ago. She seemed perfectly normal as well: happy, enthusiastic, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.” Hanneman began to chuckle, “In fact, she was raving about the new class I’m teaching next semester: The History of Religion in Fodlan.”

Felix jotted the information down. “Okay, last thing, do you have any samples of her writing?”

“Well, that letter I gave you.”

“I want to confirm it was actually sent by her and not meant to be a smokescreen. If she was kidnapped, time is of the essence, her kidnapper would want to keep anyone they could off their trail for as long as they could. You are the main person she had contact with. She only sent letters to her brother every few weeks.”

“Oh heavens. Yes of course, I have a paper she wrote last month. She hasn’t been here so I haven’t been able to return it.” Hanneman gave Felix the paper and stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray. “Will that be all? If you have any more questions I would be happy to help any way I can. I have dinner reservations with my wife, so if that’s all, I would like to be heading off.” 

“Yes, you’ve been quite helpful, I’ll contact you if needed. The school gave me your phone number.”

“Good then. I hope you find her, Detective. I am desperately worried for her.” Hanneman put on his hat and walked out of the doorway, returning to his normal life. 

Felix stubbed his half-burned cigarette out as well and went over his notes. Nothing really stood out. There was no change in behavior, she wasn’t being followed as far as he could tell, she seemed to be an upright student who loved history. This letter was perhaps a clue, if it was sent by her then it would mean that she had disappeared at least two weeks later than his first thought. Or… it could mean she was forced to write and send it under duress. If it wasn’t her writing though… Felix feared the implications.

Felix left the university for his office. He had work to do.


	2. The Three Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix has no choice but to visit the crime families all around the city. His investigations always seem to lead back to at least one of them and he is well trusted and liked. It's a tenuous relationship, a balancing act, keeping three Mafia families on his good side; one that is always under threat of being broken.

The writing didn’t match, not even a bit. Whoever had written this sick letter and sent it to Professor Hanneman was not Magnolia Ubert. The sick note was written in sloppy cursive, words stringing together haphazardly, with no finesse and slanting to the right. Magnolia Ubert’s handwriting was pristine, perhaps the most beautiful handwriting Felix had ever seen. Her letters were elegant, highly slanted to the left and carefully controlled. 

It was definitely a delay tactic, her kidnapper trying to ensure that no one came looking for her too soon. Felix didn’t like it one bit; a large amount of effort was being put into ensuring she wasn’t found and Felix had no idea the reason. She was an unassuming girl, bright, kind, and worked a simple job at a rather high-end clothing store when she wasn’t studying. 

Felix exhaled and a cloud of white smoke billowed forth. He leaned back in his chair and threw his legs onto his desk. _She isn’t special. Why kidnap her?_ Felix had seen a picture of Magnolia, Ashe had given him one. She was a rather beautiful girl, with a sprinkling of freckles across her face, just like Ashe, and silver hair that curled down her back. She wore a purple headband in the photo and had a small gap between her front teeth, adding to her charm. 

_Hell._ Maybe that was it. Maybe she was kidnapped for her looks. Felix had busted an underground human trafficking ring a few years ago at the behest of the Reigan crime family. What started out as the occasional disappearance from one of their speakeasies and clubs quickly turned into an endemic problem as certain patrons began disappearing--all women, all physically beautiful. It was bad for business and they started to see fewer and fewer customers frequent their underground establishments. 

One of Claude’s capos had given him his case: find the person--or persons--responsible and report back to Claude. Felix did a lot of digging into the ugly underworld of this city during that case and found the culprit: a man named Acheron. Acheron was an important and influential Capo in the mafia who had been well trusted by the late Grampy Reigan, who passed some years ago. He retained most of his status when Claude came to power but apparently he disagreed with Claude’s ruling style.

When Felix met Claude face to face, he was already in a meeting with Acheron; Felix overheard them arguing about the distribution of alcohol to the residential district of the city. Acheron seemed to favor running underground markets. Claude had implemented a rather brilliant scheme of hiding booze in milk bottles and delivering it every morning. The front company looked legitimate and their alcohol sales in the residential areas were skyrocketing.

When Felix was introduced to the room and told Claude who was kidnapping girls to sell to Goddess knows where; Claude stood up, eyed Acheron down, told him his service was greatly appreciated… and shot him point-blank in the head with a smile on his face and ice in his eyes. Blood and grey matter splattered against the wall behind them and Acheron fell to the ground, dead.

Felix had not been prepared to watch death play out that day but at least he knew Claude Von Reigan was a man who had standards about what kinds of crime they committed. Alcohol? Fair. Clubs? Acceptable. Strip clubs and more “debaucherous” establishments? Good to go. Sex trafficking? Punishable by a bullet to the head engraved with the Reigan Deer. 

Claude paid him a hefty sum, three times the promised price for his work. Felix had used the money to purchase the little hole in the wall that he turned into his office, and Claude’s establishments began to boom with business once more. 

“You really saved my bacon here. Any visit is free for you.” Claude had whispered with a wink. “I work wherever the most important customers are at any given night. Wherever you show up… I’ll be there.” 

Felix hadn’t yet taken advantage of that offer. He had no desire to ingrain himself in the underworld any more than he had to. Also, he didn’t want to accidentally show preference for the Reigan family, as the other two families also used his services. It was a thin and taught tightrope he walked between the three, and he had no desire to accidentally snap a connection, even if he was actually interested in some of the special performances at Claude’s clubs and speakeasies. One day though… maybe he would go and see, just to sate his curiosity and have a good time. Tonight though, he was going to need to call in a favor from one Claude Von Reigan.

~~~~~

It was late by the time he arrived at the Golden Lute, already past one in the morning, but the city never slept, especially in the entertainment district, which would roar until the wee hours. Smoke billowed out of every building, music blared, prostitutes called out to passers-by. People drank booze in the streets despite its illegality. Cops mingled with the crowd, enjoying the clubs, gambling, and booze. The entire constabulary was as corrupt as the crime families but they kept the general populace safe enough.

Felix stepped into the Golden Lute. Up top it was a suave looking jazz club with live music and fancy tables. Waiters and waitresses brought food and drink to all sorts of patrons enjoying the music. Jazz was hit or miss with Felix; he tended toward the smooth and elegant rhythms, not the upbeat and happy tunes coming from the stage. The entrance to the club was behind a painting in the men’s bathroom, it was easy enough to sneak in without being seen by any patrons of the jazz club up top.

As he walked down the stairs, a man in a mask halted him. “Put this on, valued guest.” The man handed him a mask: one to be worn at a masquerade. It was blue and engraved with fake rhinestones that shone in the light and matched his long trench coat. Felix placed the mask over his face and proceeded down the stairs into the world he had never before seen. 

Servers walked around in masks of different hues carrying silver platters with food and drink. None of them wore a top and most of them barely wore anything to cover their sensitive regions either; all of them were chiseled perfection with lines of hard muscle down their chests. There was a large bar across the back wall stocked with bottles of multiple colors and hues, each holding a different drink, glimmering in the shining lights. A few men stood behind the counter talking with patrons and mixing drinks. Next to the stairs was a curtained-off area. Every so often a man and server would walk behind the curtain and not return. To its left was a large stage holding a pole and a scantily clad man with red hair and a white mask dancing to the smooth jazz sifting through the air. 

He was mesmerizing. His skin was soft and glowed in the light, likely rubbed down with oil. His smile was teasing, tantalizing. Every movement of his hips drew low applause from the crowd and each time he grinded against the pole more men would call at him. His tight black undergarments left little to the imagination, and the bowtie around his neck broke every fashion rule relating to collared shirts, in that he lacked a shirt entirely. The ridges of pure muscle could be used to wash clothing. With a start… he realized who he was watching. The man, _Sylvain,_ spied him and winked, a gesture Felix would recognize anywhere, having grown up with him. 

Felix found his mind wandering too far into unwholesome thoughts about Sylvain and his beautiful body. He was here for business… not pleasure. Despite the screaming in his mind to watch his childhood friend undulate his hips and grind against the pole some more, Felix took out a cigarette and walked towards the bar. 

Behind a fully stocked bar with gleaming bottles of all colors and sizes was a pink haired man with a bright orange mask. _Holst Goneril._ That was one of Claude’s most trusted capos, high ranking in the organization. When Felix first saw Holst, he was fully clothed in a fancy suit with a pink dress shirt to match his gorgeous hair. Now… standing behind the bar, he was wearing a bowtie and a smile... and little else, save for a pair of tight-fitting short-shorts. Felix knew that Claude placed key members of his organization inside his establishments but Felix was not prepared to see Holst Goneril in all his mostly nude glory wiping a glass clean and pouring drinks for drunk patrons. Holst eyed him down and shot him an easy smile edging on being a smirk. _Hey, yeah, you thought I looked good in a suit didn’t you?_ That gaze seemed to pierce down to the deepest recesses of his sex-starved mind. _Do you like what you see, Detective?_

Felix blinked a few times, grounding him in his job once more; he was here for Magnolia Ubert, this was not a pleasure visit, no matter how attractive Holst Goneril was in his revealing bartender outfit.

Felix stepped up the counter. “We’ve been expecting you.” Holst whispered, all suave in his bowtie, smile resting on his face, eyes alert. “What can I get for you?”

“Got a light?” Felix held his cigarette out to him.

“Of course, sir.” Holst pulled a lighter from the front pocket of his tiny shorts and flicked it alight. The flood of nicotine into Felix’s veins helped refocus his mind on the work at hand. “Would you like anything else?” 

Holst smiled underneath his orange mask, his blinding white smile and velvety voice could likely seduce any man or woman he desired. 

“A Bloody Mary, extra spicy.” That was his code phrase. Claude Von Reigan was a careful man. He was more than willing to meet Felix when Felix called to ask for him but gave him very important directions on how to meet. Felix picked this particular club due to the anonymity of the clientele. When all the clients were keeping their identity hidden, Felix could worry less about being seen. 

“Coming right up.” Felix watched Holst gather the ingredients for his drink. Truly, he did like his Bloody Mary extra spicy, even if it was just code. Holst definitely went heavy on the hot sauce, even this would give Felix a run for his money. With a dash of pepper and a stick of celery to top it off, Holst slid the drink over.

“He was hoping you would attend the club one day. He’s rather interested in you, though I know you’re more of a lone wolf type.” 

“I keep neutral in family businesses around this city. It’s better to be accessible to each of you for whatever cases you have; so long as you don’t engage in anything that actively harms innocents.”

“Oh, you misunderstand. I meant he’s _interested_ in you.”

Felix went red, and it wasn’t from the strong vodka entering his system. “Oh.”

Holst chuckled again, “You aren’t with anyone, and he finds you ‘fascinating.’ You solved that… _problem of_ ours rather quickly and efficiently. The business is running much more smoothly now that the last vestiges of the old guard are gone, even if Acheron and his cronies had to be… removed.” 

That was one way of putting it. Felix had left as the cleanup crew entered Claude’s office to wipe the blood and grey matter from his walls. Felix was used to bodies and death so he was unfazed by the sudden action. The next day, when seven bodies were found floating down the polluted Ylisse river towards the sea, Felix wasn’t surprised. The police also received an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen about a suspicious cargo tanker on pier forty seven, inside, they found all the missing girls, thankfully unharmed. 

Holst smiled and leaned in to whisper, “He also finds you rather attractive. Room seven at the end of the hall.”

Felix nodded and took his drink before turning his back on Holst and attempting not to look at Sylvain, who was now playing with the band of his tiny undergarments. His fingers slid underneath, threatening to lower them. The crowd began to erupt into massive cheers; Felix realized he was failing at not looking and pushed through the curtains leading to the private rooms: for clients to sate a different vice... for the right price. 

Room seven, at the end of the hall, bright Golden door: Felix turned the knob and entered.

Inside was a large bed with opulent covers and pristine sheets. It was pure white, the only white in a room full of gold: gold carpet, gold curtains, gold walls. Off to the side, pouring a glass of bourbon, was Claude. A gold couch sat next to the little stand holding the alcohol.

“Detective.” Claude didn’t turn around to face him, instead taking a sip of his bourbon. “It’s good to see you again, did you enjoy the show?” Claude sat down on the couch to face him and pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket. Felix walked forward and sat on the edge of the bed. Felix held out his lighter and lit Claude’s cigarette with the flame. Claude brought it to his mouth, breathed in, and puffed a large cloud up into the air.

“You didn’t tell me you...” Felix wasn’t sure what to call this work. 

“Work as a courtesan? Occasionally. Playing people is like a game. In here, where they least expect to be played… I gain a power far better than money. Information is key; information can be purchased, used to put down foes. Knowledge is always power, though the less intellectually inclined rarely realize that. While they enjoy the presence of a warm body and intellectual conversation… I gain information to sell or keep for a rainy day. I perform lots of jobs, and own many establishments. When a customer of a particular import is in town… I go to them. If a powerful businesswoman wants a drink--I’m there bartending. If a politician has a particular affinity for the warmth of a man in his bed and engaging conversation--if Holst or Sylvain aren’t there--I am. If someone calls and needs dirt on a husband who beats them… a kindly-worded letter threatening to expose their every vice and weakness makes its way to them. At all times, in every establishment, ears are listening, waiting for information. Booze only lubricates the vocal cords and makes them talk. But… anyway. _You’re_ here for information, not me… on one Magnolia Ubert.”

“So you’ve already heard?”

“Ashe was one of my best dancers, he was determined and smart and brought in large sums of money from his regulars. I treat my people well. He never joined the _business_ but I’m always happy to protect those who worked with me. I promised to keep tabs on his siblings, and now I’ve failed. It’s an embarrassment and a stain on my reputation… and Ashe is probably worried sick.”

“Ashe was a dancer? He said he bartended.”

“Oh. He didn’t tell you that? He was one of our most popular dancers up until last year when he had saved enough cash to finish paying for his sister’s education. He quit but I told him if he needed anything at all, I would be here.”

Felix wrote this down and puffed some more smoke. It seemed Ashe was a man with his own secrets. “I see. Well, you know why I’m here.”

“I do. First let me say, I don’t believe that this was the work of a trafficking ring. That’s a crime that none of the gangs are into these days, especially not after Acheron. The Blaiddyds deal in drugs and guns sure, but people? Not a chance. The Lady Hresvelg looks down upon that ugly business perhaps even more than I do. I haven’t heard anything on the streets about any sort of human sale so I think it’s safe to cross that off the list of possibilities.” 

“That’s good to know at least, though it doesn’t give me clues as to who it could be. Do you have any more information?”

“Well… I do.”

“Go ahead.”

“She was involved with the Hresvelgs.”

“What? Ashe told me she wasn’t.” 

“Ashe didn’t know, and neither did I until last week when I overheard a conversation about a girl who worked at a boutique who never cashed in her severance check. She worked at the MacNeary boutique, owned by the Macneary family, who works for the Hresvelgs. It’s a money laundering scheme. To clean the money they earn from their gambling houses, they have legitimate theaters they own purchase large amounts of high-end expensive costumes and props from their businesses and funnel the money into their accounts. The fashion company makes money, the theaters make money, and the Hresvelgs legitimize their gambling profits. Magnolia was a part of that scheme, though I’m unsure if she knew. All of the laundering is done through legitimate businesses and the Hresvelgs keep a close watch over the system.”

“Would it be enough of a reason to kidnap her?”

“I don’t know. By all outward appearances, she was just a normal girl working a normal clerk job at a fashion company and going to school. She wouldn’t likely have much information worth kidnapping her for.”

Felix leaned back and puffed the last of his cigarette. He stubbed it out in the ashtray before sighing. “Well… hell.”

“There is one more thing, I don’t know how important it will end up but I did overhear something. It happened some months ago now so the details are hazy. But… I overheard two wealthy patrons talking… They mentioned something about the Ubert family having an interesting history with an old noble house. I don’t know what it could mean, and I didn’t catch the name of the house. When I looked into it I didn’t find any indication that the Ubert family had bad blood with anyone, so I dismissed it. Lots of families have ties to old nobility so maybe his family had served another house back during the feudal ages. The Ubert family didn’t have a coat of arms either, so they don’t seem to be of noble descent. I don’t know if that will be of any help, but that’s about all I have by way of information on the Uberts. And before you ask… Ashe was a good worker who never stepped on any toes and he didn’t work the private rooms. He always wore a mask on stage so no one should know his identity. I doubt anyone did this because of him.”

Felix jotted the info down. When wealthy people talked about you in this town, it was usually for good reason, though he didn’t have an inkling of what it could mean. “Well, I have some new leads. Thank you.”

“Of course, anything for you, and Ashe too. I hope you find her soon.”

Claude’s gaze didn’t avert from Felix. “You never came to any of my establishments despite my invitation. You could have picked any of them… yet you chose to come here.”

“It’s an anonymous club for people who want to do anonymous things.”

“Hm. True enough… but it’s easier to hide in plain sight.” Claude sipped the last of his drink before placing the glass on the table next to him. 

Felix found it difficult to avert his eyes from Claude, whose top buttons were undone, showing off hard muscle and a kissable neck. The look in Claude’s eyes was knowing and inviting. 

“Here we are, Felix. The stage is yours. I find you fascinating. I admire you and your work. Tonight… for once… I’m not fishing for information. I actually find my client interesting… and attractive.” Claude’s eyes were gentle but serious. The ball was in Felix’s court.

Felix was tempted… so tempted to say yes, Claude was a handsome man, strong, and smart. Felix would be lying if he said that he wasn’t attracted to him. Claude looked like a god, bronze skin smooth, healthy, and supple, muscles chiseled as though from fine stone, his eyes shone the brightest green. Felix had been alone for a long time.

He would end up going home to a cold bed and a bottle of rum to help him sleep. Maybe tonight could be a bit different.

“Do you have a more comfortable place to go? The gold in this gaudy room is abrasive to my eyes.”

Claude’s eyes went wide but he began to laugh. “Yes. Just a short ride away, shall we?” Claude stood up and held his arm out to Felix. Felix thought for a moment… there was no going back once he took hold.

Felix came in close and entwined his arm with Claude’s. “Let’s be off then, Detective.”

In the morning… he would talk to the Hresvelgs and pursue the next lead on Magnolia Ubert. 

Tonight… he would allow himself a moment to live and enjoy the warmth that came with sleeping next to another person after a session of much needed romance.

~~~~~

The Hresvelg family used to work in the business of brothels and pleasure houses. Old Man Hresvelg fell ill in his mid life and his capos all but seized control of the business, getting into the ugly practice of trafficking and prostitution. Their reign of terror came to a bloody end one ugly day on pier 415. 

The piers were considered neutral territory: The Reigan family needed them to smuggle in booze, the Hresvelgs needed it to smuggle in women, chips, cards, illegal contraceptives, and a multitude of other things for their prostitution business and the Blaiddyds needed them to smuggle weapons and drugs. While old man Hresvelg was in good health, the piers stayed neutral, none of the families messed with shipments or deliveries. After he became sick his capos attempted to seize control of the piers with bodyguards and purchasing power. 

The result was a bloody mafia war and the massacre of Pier 415. All three heads of each house died, as did many of the Hresvelg capos and a multitude of cops sent to the scene. The new house heads made sure to re-establish the piers as a neutral ground where each could receive their shipments problem free, but the casualties still felt raw to a great many members of the mafia. 

Edelgard Hresvelg, the new head, had destroyed the old brothel and prostitution business established by the overeaching capos. Now, the Hresvelgs were in the far more respectable business of swindling the rich out of money in gambling houses. The former prostitutes were freed from their “debts” to the family and trained to be card dealers, mechanics, and business women who brought in profit for the family who paid them handsomely. Felix had to admit, he respected the hell out of Edelgard Von Hresvelg. 

In front of him stood the most popular gambling house in the entertainment district, not but a block away from the Golden Lute. The Reigans and Hresvelgs established a tentative “alliance'' after the massacre. The Reigan family supplied booze to the Hresvelgs for imbibement at their gambling houses: a drunk rich man was a rich man soon to lose his money. The Hresvelgs meanwhile paid for not only the booze, but gave Claude Von Reigan a cut of each day's earnings. Both families profited from the arrangement and the two heads of house seemed to have a mutual respect and understanding of the other. It had been many generations since the Reigans and Hresvelgs had been able to share the entertainment district without bloodshed and arguments. 

Le Ruban d’Argent- was a fancy establishment owned by Edelgard, her most popular house of gambling. She personally dealt cards on occasion wearing a bright red dress, dangly earrings and a mask emblazoned with rubies. She had a thing for the color red. It complimented her snow-white hair. From what Felix had been able to gather, a man only known as “Vestra” managed the darker parts of their business. Felix had heard rumors that this particular family had no qualms about… “removing” political heads and rival companies when it would benefit them to do so. Staying on the good side of Lady Edel was definitely within Felix’s best interest so as not to have to ever meet the mysterious and elusive Vestra himself. 

Unlike his meeting with Claude last night…the thought of which Felix was still enjoying… a small, white-haired woman immediately stopped him upon his entrance to the “music parlor” that served as the front for their huge gambling den underground. 

“Follow me, Detective.” 

The short girl didn’t seem to be very old and had platinum hair, the same as Edelgard’s. It didn’t make much sense… Edelgard was the only surviving child of the late Hresvelg boss and his wife. Perhaps this was a cousin… or a bastard child? Felix wasn’t going to ask, the girl had a look about her that seemed to say _I dare you to make my day._

The girl finally introduced herself, “My name is Lysithea. No. I’m not related to Edelgard. Yes, I work for her. No, you may not pat my head.”

“I’m Felix.” He made no attempt to shake her hand or pat her head, instead simply nodding to the girl.

“You are already ninety percent more tolerable than the majority of people I meet. Edelgard is waiting in the room at the end of the hall.” 

Felix nodded and watched as Lysithea walked off. He could understand her irritation, she looked like someone who people would attempt to coddle, and though he wasn’t short… he related to a bit of her irritation. Being born into a rather prominent household meant he was always treated as though he had a golden spoon in his mouth. When his father died, Felix donated most of the money he inherited to his alma mater and decided he would earn his own way. This way, no one could dare accuse him of nepotism. He didn’t need anyone’s worthless thoughts about him.

The door at the end of the long corridor was a bright crimson, once more playing up Edelgard’s love of the color. The rooms lining the side of the hallway held offices and a telegraph station, each was busy and bustling, probably wiring funds to and from different businesses.

Felix stepped into Edelgard’s office. The smoke filled room was elegant and cozy, warm brown walls and dark red furniture were placed carefully in the large space. Edelgard’s massive desk could fit three people and behind it she sat smoking a cigar. 

“Detective, it’s good to see you again.” She stood and placed her cigar on an ashtray before reaching out to shake his hand. Her long white hair billowed around her body, wavy and pristine, like the foam of ocean tides. Her pale blue eyes sized him up, as they always did, assessing him, determining him to be friend or foe.

Felix reached out and shook her hand before taking off his coat and hat and hanging them on the nearby rack. Felix took a seat opposite her on the comfortable red furniture. 

“So… to what do I owe the pleasure of your company today, Detective?” Her voice was kind and welcoming, though Felix could tell she was still suspicious of his presence here. Her pale blue eyes seemed to bore into his soul as he faced her.

“I’m looking into the disappearance of a girl: Magnolia Ubert. She was an employee of the MacNeary Boutique.”

“Ah… I see. Petra told me she stopped coming to work some weeks ago. This is a missing persons case now is it?” Edelgard seemed to ease back in her chair a tad and opened her desk, offering Felix a cigar. 

Felix accepted it and cut off the end before lighting it and placing it in his mouth to sit. Cigars weren’t usually his favorite but the smoke in the room smelled nice and it was only polite to accept a gift, especially from one Edelgard Von Hresvelg.

“Yes, her brother brought the case to me, her professor received a fake letter two weeks ago saying she was sick. I believe it a fair assessment to say she has been kidnapped.”

“A fake letter?”

“He received a letter from Magnolia Ubert but the handwriting did not match hers in the slightest. When did Petra notice she was missing?”

“Well… she told me her favorite employee had been absent a few weeks ago. Petra was worried about her but needed to hire a new clerk to operate the front business, so she sent the girl a sizable severance package and told her to come back if she needed work. The money never left the company account though--she never cashed it in.” 

“Was she involved in the… business?”

“No. She was simply a clerk. She dealt with legitimate customers interested in buying clothing at the store in the business district. She was quite a charming girl though I only met her once. She seemed to be quite adept at selling high end clothing to the more wealthy patrons, Petra was sad when she stopped coming for work for more than just the fact that she liked her. She was a good saleswoman.”

“You don’t think it's possible she overheard anything? Perhaps wandered down the wrong hallway at the wrong time?”

Edelgard puffed a bit of smoke, contemplating. “No. We only had ‘business’ conversations here. Petra never showed her this place so it’s quite unlikely.” 

“I suppose there was never any indication she was in danger?”

“Not that Petra ever told me, and she always tells me everything. I take care to ensure my business associates and employees are safe- whether they know what we do or not.”

“I see.” Felix frowned and scratched his head. _Dead end. No one would be willing to kidnap Magnolia Ubert over this._ Felix inhaled a breath, feeling his lungs fill with the sweet smoke before breathing it out and back into the air.

“I suppose none of that was particularly helpful. I apologize, Detective, I don’t have any better information.” 

Felix shook his head, “That’s the way of the game some days. I’ll simply have to pursue new leads. I do have one question though… if you are at liberty to share: were there any big business contracts happening last month? I wonder if she was somehow entwined beyond anyone’s knowledge.”

“Well… the MacNeary boutique sells clothing to high end customers but also supplies stages with costumes and props. Last month they had contracts with the Aegir theater company putting on a historical drama… the Casagranda opera house--putting on… well, an opera. The headliner for that show is actually Dorothea Arnault, one of my trusted lieutenants. There was also a contract with a local Dagdan martial arts center who are performing a martial arts play at the Eagle Theater next week. She didn’t have a hand in any of those deals though, Petra personally saw to those.”

Felix jotted the three down. It seemed of little import but any clue at all could be the one to crack the case. “Thank you for your time.” Felix stood up and held out his hand to shake once more.

"Any time detective, I hope you find her safe and sound.”

Felix turned to grab his coat and hat before walking out the door. He could feel Edelgard’s eyes on him as he left. She was ever vigilant, always calculating. He could respect that; those who did not think did not stay very safe in this city.

 _No new leads._ He felt at a loss as to what to do, Magnolia’s involvement with Edelgard was as a mere employee of a side company in the laundering scheme. She wasn’t in an important position and Edelgard wasn’t foolish enough to allow herself to be overheard; she was far too careful for that. Plus, Petra seemed to favor the girl and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her normal life. 

The cold air outside made Felix realize he had forgotten his scarf this morning. He had to wonder… wherever Magnolia Ubert was… was she warm? Was she well-fed? Felix refused to allow himself to think of the more ugly alternatives that could have befallen the sweet girl. Some way, somehow, Felix was going to find her. 

~~~~~

The case came to a grinding halt after his meeting with Edelgard. For days now he had been chasing every breadcrumb, every small lead to an inevitable dead end. 

Petra didn’t have any information that Edelgard hadn’t already shared with him. Claude hadn’t sent him any news from his sources; likely meaning he didn’t have any. The theaters were each a dead end. The headliner at the Casagranda Opera Company, Dorothea Arnault, was apparently a former class friend of Magnolia’s. She was scared for her but offered little in the way of workable evidence. The Dagdan dojo, led by one Shamir Nevrand, had no connection whatsoever to Magnolia, nor did the Aegir Theater Company. 

Now… there wasn’t even a breadcrumb left to find. The anxious look in Ashe’s face got worse every time he came around to check into the investigation. His eyes so bright a green were dim and sad. His were cheeks gaunt, as though he wasn’t eating. His beautiful features were falling into disrepair: dark circles encased his eyes and his hair was never perfectly held in its tail. 

Felix felt worthless as a detective; his best wasn’t good enough. His best wasn’t bringing the bright-eyed and smiling girl home to her caring brother. His best wasn’t returning her to class where she was studying for a bright future.

Felix billowed cheap smoke into the air. This case had seen a rapid increase in his usage of cigarettes; it didn’t seem like he would be free of the smoky stench any time soon. His office was now nearly permanently enshrouded in the hazy smoke. His head now hurt if he smoked any less often than once every two hours. 

Perhaps he would take Claude up on his offer of a free night of entertainment… though it felt like giving up. He was no quitter; the answer lay somewhere between here and there. He merely needed to find the endpoints. 

_Magnolia Ubert: 20 years old, part time student at Cichol University- History major, last heard from over six weeks ago. Place of residence: 133 Lion Street, unit 7. District: University. District control: Blaiddyd. Friends: Dorothea Arnault. Family: Ashe and Jesper Ubert- brothers, parents deceased. Crime affiliation: Hresvelg family, unknowing participant. Lengths taken to ensure no one came looking too soon; reason: unknown._

His newest update to her file felt like precious little progress. His head was hurting and he couldn’t bear to look Ashe in the eyes again without having some new information. 

Some digging into old police records had turned up some rather interesting information… Jesper Ubert had been the victim of a crime during his tenure at university three years ago. The police report stated he had been walking to his campus dormitory when suddenly attacked by a hooded person with a satchel. They had apparently tried to apply some sort of rag to his face but he had managed to fight them off. Upon returning to his dorm, he found he was missing his wallet. The police closed the case as a simple mugging; it didn’t sit right with Felix.

A mugger wouldn’t apply a rag to Jesper Ubert’s face… It could have been chloroform. Perhaps it was an attempted kidnapping? The question remained why? If it was… that would imply that the Ubert siblings had been in the crosshairs for quite a few years at this point. Sadly… Jesper Ubert was out of the country on an archaeological dig and Felix couldn’t reach him by phone. 

Nothing added up. Ashe apparently made good money as a dancer in the Golden Lute… but certainly not enough to warrant asking for a ransom. The Ubert siblings had little inheritance. They had no status- except what they earned. Ashe was a popular high school teacher and Jesper was quickly making a name for himself in the Archeological field. Magnolia was only starting off her adult life. Nothing Felix dug up implied the family had any old enemies. The Ubert family tree simply… appeared at one point nine generations ago. Details were hazy, as they commonly were regarding time long passed. Nothing Felix found implied bad blood with anyone; certainly not anything worth kidnapping for. 

Another puff of smoke broke into the air while the radio played jazz. Felix stared at the ceiling, contemplating everything… understanding nothing. 

A knock came at his door. 

“What is it, Annette?”

The voice of his assistant was soft and worried, “Ashe is here.”

Felix sighed, knowing he would have to face his worried face with nothing new to report. “Let him in.”

Annette opened his door and ushered Ashe in. Ashe looked worse today than ever before. The bags under his eyes were far more pronounced and his cheeks definitely looked more sunken. 

The door closed behind him and Ashe fell into the chair before Felix’s desk.

“I… I just received this.” In Ashe’s hand was a slightly crumpled letter. “It says it’s from her kidnapper.”

Felix shot out of his chair and reached out his hand. 

“I… I didn’t realize.”

“Realize what?”

Ashe handed him the letter.

_In three days time at 23:00- come to Pier 37 with the Gaspard Emerald in your possession. Refuse and you’ll never see your sister again. Follow my orders and she will be returned to you._

Enclosed was a picture of Magnolia: tied up and gagged on a dirty mattress. 

“... Ashe. What’s the Gaspard Emerald?”

Ashe buried his face in his hands. “It was part of my inheritance. Our family didn’t make much money but we had an old heirloom- a ring with a massive emerald. I’ve had it locked in a safety deposit box since I was seven. My siblings don’t even know it exists. I was going to give it to one of them for their wedding ring when the time came…”

“Gaspard Emerald? Not Ubert?”

“My parents always just called it the ring. They never gave it a name like that.”

“You didn’t think it pertinent information?”

“Truthfully… I forgot all about it. I haven’t gone to the bank with that safety deposit box in… years. There was no point, I didn’t want it to be stolen. Heirlooms should stay in the family so I just kept it safe there.”

This was perhaps the break he had been waiting for. Now the kidnapper had a motive. The Gaspard family _did_ own something of value to ransom for. If the kidnapper was playing their hand now it meant something had changed. Perhaps they had kidnapped Magnolia in hopes of getting information about the ring- it would explain the attempt against Jesper three years ago too but that would mean that someone had advance knowledge of the existence of the ring. 

Perhaps this explained the rumor about the Ubert family having bad blood with an old noble house. If this ring formerly belonged to another family… for generations they could have wanted to get it back. Gaspard was not a name that Felix immediately recognized; at the very least, they weren’t a house from this region of Fodlan. 

“I don’t know what to do... I guess I’ll get the ring out and go to the pier.”

“We have three days. This… this is a significant lead and I’m going to pursue it. Don’t lose hope just yet. Magnolia is alive and I swear… I’m going to find her.” Felix shot out of his chair and grabbed his coat, scarf, and hat. 

“Where are you going?”

“Out, I have a hunch. Ashe… get some coffee, eat some food, take a nap. This is the break in the case I’ve been waiting for.”

Felix shrugged his coat on and haphazardly wrapped his neck in the scarf before placing his fedora atop his head. He chanced a glance at Ashe. Ashe looked slightly shocked at the sudden change in Felix’s demeanor but his eyes looked just a bit brighter. 

Felix barely noticed he had forgotten to button his black trench coat until the cold slowly began to seep into his skin. His blue scarf waved in the wind as Felix hailed a taxi. Above him, snow began to fall.

A black car stopped in front of him and Felix climbed in.

“Where to?”

“Cichol University, on the double.”

“You got it boss.”

It was time for him to pay a visit to the last of the families, who would best know about rare objects. He was going to visit Dimitri.

~~~~~

Visiting the Blaiddyds was always an odd experience for Felix. He personally knew most of the young members and capos in the family. He grew up with them, played with them on the grounds of the massive Blaiddyd manor. Ingrid, Sylvain, Dimitri, they were all old friends of his from his youngest years. 

Rodrigue, his father, was the most trusted right hand Capo of old man Lambert, the former mafia don. Felix grew up in crime; his father never bothered to hide his real business from Felix, none of the capos or adults did. The children knew from a young age that their uncles who brought them sweets and smoked on the porch talking to their fathers were mobsters conversing about the underworld. Each of them was expected to one day take up the mantle and join in the business- serving the Blaiddyds who paid them handsomely for their service. 

Felix was the only child who broke from the life set out for him. Most of his friends stayed in the family, serving it’s cause. Sylvain broke out some years ago too, now working for Claude Von Reigan, and he seemed much happier for it. 

Felix’s father had been excited when Felix informed him he was going to college and studying criminology. Rodrigue thought it a brilliant way to serve the family; Felix could be their man inside the constabulary helping the family out of pinches and solving pesky evidence. 

He had been less than pleased to find out Felix was studying to become a legitimate detective and break free from the family. Of course… there wasn’t long for him to be angry or threaten his son. Rodrigue died on pier 415 alongside Lambert, Grampy Reigan and a plethora of capos from all three family businesses. Felix gained his inheritance, paid his way through college, and donated what amount he didn’t deem necessary to start his own private practice. He had no use for dirty money earned through drug and arms sales; that wasn’t his world and he refused to play by its rules. 

Cichol University was a five minute walk from here; the Blaiddyd family founded the university many years ago and named it after their patron saint. The University was mostly clean- the family made money off of it legitimately and even kept prices of admission low. Over the years… this small port city on the coast had inflated to a massive size and the Blaiddyds helped lay the foundation. Most of the Blaiddyd business took place in the industrial sector of the city fifteen minutes away by car or in warehouses by the piers.

As the taxi pulled into the huge circle in front of the venerable and beautiful Blaiddyd mansion… old memories came flooding back: his father smoking cigars out back with Lambert, sword practice with Sylvain and Ingrid, gelato with his uncle Gautier in the hot summers. He could at least look back on those times with happiness, even though he had long abandoned the family business.

“Is that all boss?” He realized the car had stopped. He was still staring out the window at the glow of the massive mansion against the falling snow. 

“Yes. Thank you. Keep the change.” Felix handed him a wad of cash over the price and began to climb out of the car.

“That’s mighty nice of ya, want me to stick around?”

“No, that’s all right. You should get home to your family, it’s going to be a cold night.”

“You got it boss.” The man tipped his hat and sped off around the circle.

Felix was left in the cold, staring at the imposing mansion in front of him, glimmering in the night and reflecting beams of light into the snow. On top of the steps stood two guards in all black suits with blue ties guarding the entrance. 

As Felix began to climb the steps, the front doors opened, revealing a large man with white hair and dark skin. 

_Dedue Molinaro._ His father was to Lambert as Dedue was to Dimitri. The two were inseparable and Dedue had all of Dimitri’s confidence. He was an imposing man though Felix knew he was actually a rather softhearted person. He and Dedue had a complicated relationship: Felix was on his way out as Dedue was joining in. Dedue had lost his parents at pier 415 and had almost died himself- bullet wound through the chest. It was unfortunate, the Molinaro family was only there for an underground auction; the shootout that led to such death that night had no relation to them, yet they suffered most for it. 

Dimitri took over the family despite being young and immediately paid for the entirety of Dedue’s medical expenses as well as ordering the assassination of the last few Hresvelg capos who had survived the shootout. Those final deaths were the end of the tragedy. Dimitri visited Dedue everyday until he recovered and mourned the loss of his father alongside Dedue who had lost his parents.

“Felix… to what do we owe your visit this evening? You didn’t give advance warning of your visit.” Dedue always wore a rather blank expression; he had the most reliable and unflinching poker face Felix had ever seen. That poker night so many years ago when he still had one foot in the door was the worst night of loss he had ever experienced. Even Dimitri was taken aback at how badly he lost to Dedue. At the end of the night, Dedue had simply given a small smile and said “good game” while the other participants counted their losses and picked up the tattered pieces of their pride from the floor. The next day, his grandmother, and only surviving family member, showed up the mansion wearing a beautiful new dress and earrings that matched Dedue’s. No one could really be mad about the loss after that.

“I know. I’m working a case and just got a new lead. I need to talk to Dimitri, it’s of paramount importance. The life of a young girl is on the line.”

Dedue’s expression didn’t shift as he whispered to the guards and they stepped aside. “Follow me then.”

Felix bounded up the remaining steps. It was definitely to his favor that the Blaiddyd family was chivalrous about protecting people-- if their drug distribution was overlooked. 

Felix fell into step behind Dedue which was a difficult feat considering the man’s advanced height. Dedue led him up the grand staircase and down the winding halls of the mansion. Felix knew the layout like the back of his hand. He had lived quite a large amount of his youth in these halls. 

The mansion layout may have been the same but it was undeniable that the feeling here was different. Lambert’s mansion was bright and cheery despite the ugliness of the business. It was a place of laughter and joy, children ran around and were herded by uncles and friends into hugs and given sweets. 

This mansion was quiet, nearly dreadfully so. Guards protected the entrance and were stationed at different areas but there was no laughter. The opulence remained the same but it felt as though everything that made this place wonderful in his childhood was gone; there was only business here now.

Dedue opened the door to Dimitri’s office, formerly Lambert’s. Smoke billowed out nearly as soon as the doors swung open and Felix stepped in alongside Dedue.

Dimitri’s chair was turned towards the back wall facing picture frames and awards, some still hanging from the time of Lambert. 

“Aren’t they nostalgic? Look there.” Dimitri pointed with his cigar towards a frame. “That was the day we had the cookout with our uncles and noonas. The food was divine. Ingrid ate three times the food of you, me, and Sylvain combined. Hamburgers and hot dogs… potato salad and pasta, my mother always had to have pasta at dinner, even if we were cooking out… Good times.”

“It is nostalgic, I remember beating you at chess that day.”

“You were always better at chess than me, I bet you would still wallop me.” Dimitri turned around. His long hair cascaded down his shoulders and the top four buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a good portion of his chest to open air. He wasn’t wearing his eyepatch and his blind, glossy, white eye stared at nothing as he faced Felix. “I doubt you’re here to speak of nostalgia… people like us don’t have much time for that.”

“No. I’m here for business.”

“Well then Detective.” Nostalgia and happiness gone, his expression turned to business austere. “How can I help you?”

“I’m investigating the kidnapping of a girl named Magnolia Ubert, who attends the University. Her brother just received a ransom note demanding he hand over a rather rare and priceless item.”

“I see. And you are here… why?”

“I need to know… have you been requested to host an auction for a large emerald at any point in the next few weeks?” 

Dimitri blinked and spoke carefully, “Yes actually. We were holding an underground auction in a warehouse next Thursday. An anonymous auctioneer said they would submit a rare emerald rumored to be the long lost Gaspard Emerald for sale. We did some research and found that one of the old noble families that has now died out owned a whopping 50 carat emerald ring worth… an insurmountable amount of money. Obviously we told them yes we would sell it in the auction. Some art that we… secured from sources is also on sale that night among other high end antiques. The audience is all upper-crust politician types and movie stars. I had no doubt someone would want to buy the ring.”

 _Bingo. No wonder the kidnapper moved now. They need the ring to sell next week._ “If you had to make a guess… how much would it be auctioned off for?” 

“Something that rare, with such historic significance and that big an emerald… It would likely sell for no less than a few tens of _millions._ Even our auction fee of 35% would fetch us enough to buy the city and the seller enough money to be considered a small country. The buyer would of course have the prestige. I have no doubt they would go public and state they found it in _x_ place after _n_ amount of years searching for it.”

It was hard to believe that the Ubert family held such an important gemstone in their family line. Something about the story didn’t quite make sense yet… Felix was going to need to do some research of his own into this particular mystery. It could help him figure out who had knowledge of the Ubert family. 

“Felix? Is there something I should know?” Dimitri wore a slightly worried expression.

“A girl was kidnapped to obtain that gemstone. The seller doesn’t yet have it, they only assume by next week they will; they submitted ransom to the girl’s family.”

“Goddess. What should we do then? Word has already spread that a priceless gemstone is being auctioned off next week.”

“Keep the auction going, I can’t let the culprit realize their plan has gone sideways. I need them to feel comfortable or they are likely to flee with the victim.” 

“Understood, what about you?”

“I have an idea about how to flush them out. I should be able to manage.” Felix stood up. 

“Wait.” 

Felix turned towards Dimitri who wore a worried expression. “Don’t do anything too dangerous. You always win chess, yes, but you have never been one to back down from a losing fight. Just keep yourself safe.” 

“Noted.” Dimitri sighed but said no more on the matter, instead taking a large breath and allowing smoke to billow out into the warm air of his office. Felix had to admit, he looked quite a bit like Lambert; minus the hideous facial hair that is. Neither the Blaiddyd or Fraldarius family had the capacity to grow full facial hair, their fathers attempted it to bad effect. Dimitri did resemble Lambert though, long blonde hair, shirt never buttoned all the way, a calm demeanor hiding darkness within. 

Felix tipped his hat and turned to leave. Dedue opened the door but did not follow to escort him out, instead sitting down opposite Dimitri. 

There was work to be done and bless the goddess, Felix had a lead he could sink his teeth into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Stipper poles were invented in the 1920s. Yes. I researched stripping for this fic, it was rad. It was useful research for another fic this week as well~ My other google searches for the week included money laundering and slow acting lethal poisons- I swear CIA,NSA,FBI- I'm a good Alek.


	3. Red and Emerald

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigations are dangerous business and Felix pays the price for his meddling. His leads breathe new life into the investigation however, perhaps there is a hope for Magnolia Ubert.

“Here you go.” Annette handed Felix a piping cup of coffee, black and no sugar, just the way he preferred it. She had managed to get back to the office without tripping on a pebble this time. Thank heavens, Felix was going to have a long night. 

The police report from Jesper Ubert’s attempted kidnapping sat on the desk, as did the letter addressed to Hanemman and Ashe. His notes from each mafia leader were helpful and he had constructed a flowchart on his pin board. String connected actors all around. Magnolia was friends with Dorothea Arnault and worked for the MacNeary boutique, a front for money laundering. She was Ashe Ubert’s sister. Ashe worked for Claude at the Golden Lute who had heard rumors of bad blood between the Ubert family and an older noble house. Felix could safely assume that house was house Gaspard, whose ring they somehow came to possess sometime around the time their family tree began. The kidnapper knew about the ring… which could mean they knew about genealogy. Her professor was a suspect; he had the knowledge. Still… Felix couldn’t deny the possibility that any of the mafia families weren’t the culprit… a gemstone like that would sell for a hefty price and earn them a nice sum of cash. 

“Who’s this?” Felix didn’t notice Annette still standing there. Annette was pointing to a placeholder portrait for the anonymous seller of the ring- and likely the kidnapper.

“I don’t know yet.” It was possible they weren’t the same person… an operation like this could have a few people involved and go unnoticed for some time until they struck. 

“When did they get the ring? Wouldn’t that be noticed pretty fast? An old noble house wouldn’t lose something of value like that and simply let it go.”

That was a good point though he didn’t know why. Perhaps the Gaspard family didn’t raise a stink because they felt it embarrassing they lost such a valuable item? “I don’t know… even if they searched for it unilaterally, it’s unlikely they would abandon the search for something like that.”

“Why not talk to her professor? Or search her apartment to see if she realized something.”

“I’m worried her professor could be a suspect, and her apartment was ransacked. All of her books and papers were gone. It’s quite possible she figured out something before she was kidnapped. Maybe she blabbed to the wrong person and gave the kidnapper the perfect motive to go after her.”

“Her professor… he seems so nice from what you said though. I doubt he was dumb enough to write a fake letter and send it to himself. He would probably just let the police search around and lay low.” 

Felix reached up to take a drink of his coffee, only to realize he had none left. “I don’t know. I don’t feel like he would either.” When working in this field, it was easier to get a feel for people. Professor Hanneman didn’t strike Felix as the type of person who would do this. If he did want to steal the emerald from the Gaspards it was far more likely he would keep it for himself, not auction it off. He certainly wasn’t poor. 

Felix felt close… so close to the truth he could almost taste it. Something was still missing. 

“I’m gonna step out. Some fresh air and a cigarette will help me think.”

“Okay, do you want more coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Annette smiled and walked off to the coffee maker. She also enjoyed her coffee black although she poured copious amounts of sugar into hers. He had once accidentally tasted her coffee and boy did he regret it. He enjoyed sharing a cup of joe with her though. She was a trustworthy friend.

The air outside was brisk, and the snow didn’t seem like it would be letting up tonight. The city was going to awaken to a blanket of white covering their streets and houses without a doubt. As Felix breathed, mist floated through the air, despite having not even lit his cigarette yet. 

Felix leaned back against the building. The brick was cold but his coat and scarf kept him plenty warm. Felix flicked his lighter and grew irritated as the flame died in the wind. He leaned in, determined to light his cigarette and cupped it with his hand to keep the wind from blowing it out. Finally, the fire took and Felix relaxed as he breathed in the sweet tobacco. 

He really had taken to these things with this case. He didn’t hate smoking but he certainly hated the itch he felt to go have a cigarette all the time. He would cut back once Magnolia was safe and sound at home. 

Felix looked into the starless sky. Streetlamps cast their gentle glow down the street. Snow flew into the light and glimmered on its way to the earth. Another cloud of smoke rose into the air. 

Felix closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of respite. The cold air was brisk and made Felix feel so alive as it nipped at his nose. Caffeine danced in his stomach and his skin lit with the presence of nicotine. Felix sighed a contented sigh before his side bloomed with fire, and he stumbled back into the wall.

Across the street a lone figure stood, holding a gun out towards him. 

Felix dove to the ground and heard three more shots ring out. Another grazed him, burning through his thigh. The pain seared against the cold air, burning like fire.

The sound of a whistle blew through the air as one more shot rang out in his general direction. Felix stayed low, daring not move. He was safer towards the ground. He heard shouting in the distance and turned in time to see the gunman stash the gun in the pocket of their red trench coat before running off in the opposite direction of the shouting. Their hair peeked out from under their bright red fedora. A moment later, they were gone. They turned the corner and left Felix’s line of sight. 

More whistling rang out as what Felix assumed was a copper ran towards him. A moment later he was being dragged to his feet but the rest of what happened was lost to Felix’s memory as his vision darkened and the cigarette fell from his mouth.

~~~~~

Three gunshot wounds. One in his side- just a graze. One in his thigh, also a graze. One hit his arm- the bullet was removed by doctors. 

Underneath all his clothing, Felix was wrapped in bandages and felt like he had been put through a meat grinder. The pain was simply going to last; his skin needed time to heal and he had no say in how fast that went. At the very least, he hadn’t been struck anywhere vital. 

Still, he had lost two entire days in the hospital being stitched up and having surgery. He directed Annette to tell Ashe he was out every day investigating somewhere but now the hand off was tomorrow and he wasn’t any closer to finding the culprit. 

Felix was hoping to have the case solved in time to ensure that the emerald stayed in Ashe’s hands but with the brazen attack on Felix outside his own detective agency… It wasn’t looking like he was going to manage to do it in time. It was frustrating to no end; he should have been more vigilant. He should have had his gun on him when he went out. He should have been more careful to hide his movements. It was such a stupid move to think he was the only one pursuing. He was being pursued just as much as he was looking for the culprit; he was the only one standing in the way. 

He was lucky to be alive. 

Perhaps the only good thing to come out of this whole incident was a clue: his attacker wore high heels. Those heels were red to match the rest of what he assumed was  _ her  _ apparel. He couldn’t rule out the chance it was a male though; this city had all sorts of brilliant crime schemes and disguises were a common occurrence. For now… he was going to assume that his attacker was a woman and run with it. 

She wore all red; Edelgard had a penchant for red. Obviously this meant it wasn’t Edelgard. She was nowhere near foolish enough to dress all in red and go out to shoot someone. Such an act would be terribly obvious and would get her caught immediately. Besides… if rumors were true- the mysterious and elusive “Vestra” did all her assassination work themself.

For now, Felix was thankful for any clue- no matter how circumstantial; he desperately needed new leads. 

A knock came on his door. Like last time, Annette called out to him. “Ashe is here.”

Felix sat up straight and held himself as normally as he could. His body still burned, with pain and irritation both. He didn’t want to give any indication of his injury if at all possible; Ashe didn’t need to know about this little incident. It hadn’t been reported on either, which told Felix that the cops had been paid off. It was an unsettling realization but Felix had no better option than to be double careful and solve the case all the faster.

“Let him in.”

Ashe walked through the door with a worried look.

“Tomorrow is the day… I… I went and picked up the gem from my safety deposit box. I have to get her back Felix; the gem is worthless in comparison to her.”

His face was resolute and more bright than it had been in days. Despite having to give up such a valuable heirloom, Ashe was hopeful for his sister’s safe return. 

“I’m coming with you.”

“What?”

“They didn’t say you had to come alone. They know you’ve hired me. If I sense any funny business then I’ll handle it. You will only hand over the ring  _ after  _ they return Magnolia safely.” 

Ashe pondered a moment. “It’s going to be dangerous though. They asked for me, I should go alone.”

Felix could laugh, he had already taken three bullet wounds for this case. He wasn’t going to quit cold turkey on it just like that, this was personal now. 

Besides. Even if they lost the ring for a while… Felix planned on solving the case and returning it to Ashe in whatever way he could. Even after the handoff, there were still five days until the auction next week. 

“You needn’t worry about me. I can handle myself. You aren't used to dealing with these types, let me help.”

“You saw Claude, he told you my former profession. I  _ do  _ have experience with them. Claude may have kept me relatively safe from them but even he couldn’t fully restrict the wandering eyes of men used to getting everything they want. This isn’t my first run in with the underworld Felix. I’m  _ not  _ weak.” 

“I wasn’t attempting to imply you were. All I was trying to say was backup would be useful.”

Ashe sighed but nodded his head. “I’ll come over early tomorrow and we can go to the pier together.”

“That’s all I ask. I’m just going to be there to protect you and your sister if things go sideways.”

Felix also wanted to see if it was the same person who shot him. At the very least he would be able to confirm if the assailant was working alone or with someone.

Whoever was behind this… even if they got the gem for a while- Felix would ensure it returned to Ashe’s hands, where it belonged.

~~~~~

Felix’s watch read 22:55. The assailant and kidnapper should be here any moment now. Felix wasn’t sure what to expect. The pier was dimly lit and large warehouses lined the shore. Fishing boats and small vessels were the only boats docked at this small little outcropping from the shore and a sea breeze blew in fresh spray. Everything smelled like salt and sea out here. 

Ashe’s face was determined though lined with worry. He was uneasy despite the hope he would get his sister back today. Ashe might have worked near the underworld and its ugly men for many years but this was the first time he had directly been involved with ugliness against his family. Felix wished this city wasn’t such a place where good people suffered and darkness spread but there was nothing he could do, save for his job. 

Out here… it was so peaceful. The spray was soft and cold but pleasant on the skin. It was a perfect place to come and have a smoke or a romantic walk. This pier was distant and mostly deserted- likely the reason Magnolia’s kidnapper chose it. On another day in another world… Perhaps he and Ashe were here on a date and enjoying the cold evening with hot breath. 

Felix’s reverie was shattered as a car drove up to the edge of the pier. It was bright red, just like her entire wardrobe and while her hair was up inside the confines of the red fedora upon her head, her figure couldn’t be mistaken. Over her face was a mask- half white and half red, all ornate with feathers-- the type used for plays. The woman walked around the side of the car and opened the door. Inside was a figure; silver haired and wearing a purple headband. There could be no mistaking it, her hostage was Magnolia Ubert.

The woman clad in red reached in and rather forcefully yanked on Magnolia’s arm. The girl practically fell out of the car and looked beaten up and bruised. As the two began to walk closer Felix saw that Magnolia was blindfolded and gagged. The poor girl had been put through the ringer by her assailant. Goddess knew how long she had been enduring such awful treatment. 

Ashe looked about ready to cry… or perhaps shoot someone. His calm features had been replaced with an ugly and dark expression which couldn’t be missed, even in the low light.

The two walked closer, stopping under a light. “Well well. Didn’t expect to see you detective.”

Felix had to smirk, “You can’t get rid of me so easily.”

“Give me back my sister.” Ashe’s face was dark, his words lacking any of the usual musicality of his gentle voice. “I have your ring. Give her back.”

“I want proof first.”

“NO. Give her back. You’re blocking the exit to the pier, we can’t leave. She walks over here,  _ now. Then,  _ I will deliver your ring.” 

The girl huffed with surprise, “My oh my, you are more feisty than you look. Fine, we’ll play it your way.” The red woman removed Magnolia’s restraints and gag before kicking her, “Walk.” 

Ashe looked about ready to explode but held himself back, biding his time. Magnolia started to walk. “Everything will be okay.” 

Magnolia walked as quickly as she dared, hobbling along. She had a slight limp, Felix wondered just what the hell had happened to her. Surely after realizing she didn’t know anything they would have eased up on their treatment and abuse. This was just inhumane and awful. 

“Sis, I love you, I love you so much… it’s all okay now.”

“You.” Red pointed to Ashe, “Start walking. You’ll hand me the emerald and then walk back. Any funny business and I use this.” She pulled a gun out of her pocket and pointed it square on Ashe.

“Keep walking Mag. You’re almost free.” 

Magnolia looked ready to burst into tears, whether of relief or pain Felix wasn’t sure. Ashe and his sister, look alikes in every way, made their way towards each other, slowly and steadily, painstakingly slow so as not to agitate their oppressor. 

Finally, they met in the middle and Ashe wrapped his sister in an embrace. The two stood together holding tight for a few sweet moments, whispering something inaudible to everyone but each other. Ashe ran his hand through Magnolia’s silver hair and kissed her forehead before letting her go and gently beckoning she walk towards Felix. “Go. I’ll be behind shortly.”

Magnolia nodded, “Be careful Ashe…” and she kept walking. 

“So touching. Now… you better have the gem, otherwise I’ll gun the two of them down and take you somewhere we can get info from you.” 

“No problem, the gem is here.” Ashe held up the bag in his hand as he walked. 

Each footstep felt like one thousand, every breath was innumerable breaths more. Red held her gun out towards Ashe who courageously walked forward, toward the barrel, staring the woman down. His hair was unkempt and blowing in the wind, a mess among his otherwise serene features. 

Magnolia finally arrived at Felix’s side. Immediately, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her shivering frame. “It’s okay, everything will be okay. I’m a detective.” 

Magnolia acknowledged his presence with a nod but didn’t say anything, eyes resting on Ashe. 

After an eternity and a half, Ashe arrived in front of the woman and held out his palm. The woman scrutinized him, “Such angry eyes, your sweet face can’t fool me. Let’s see if you delivered.” 

She took the small pouch from him and asked with a sweet voice, “Step back ten steps love. Wouldn’t want little Ashy to tackle me while I inspect the goods~” 

Ashe obeyed and walked backwards ten steps, facing the gun barrel down. Slowly, carefully, Red opened the little pouch and pulled out the ring. 

The gemstone was… massive, undoubtedly the largest gem Felix had ever laid eyes upon. No doubt… it was worth far more fortunes than even Dimitri had said it would be worth. Even from here, so many feet away, Felix could see the sparkle of the finely cut gem underneath the lamppost. The rectangular shape cast glimmers of light over the sea below and the ground in front of Red. Such an item… how in the world did the Ubert family come into possession of it? Ashe didn’t seem to know, Felix was going to have to look into it when all this ugly business was completed.

“Exquisite… You have indeed delivered. Go ahead… walk back to them, I’ll leave… and the deal will be considered closed- no refunds.” Red giggled a little snarky laugh, full of self confidence. 

Ashe nodded and turned to walk back, going just as horribly slowly as before. Red eyed him down the entire way with what Felix assumed was a smug expression under that gaudy mask. 

Felix held Magnolia close, keeping her warm against the cold and sea spray. She had stopped shivering but looked no less worried than when she first got out of the car of her kidnapper.

Another eternity later… Ashe arrived next to them. He looked far more relieved and grabbed his sister, pulling her into another hug. He pulled her long hair back, out of her face, and kissed her head again before pressing her face to his chest and holding her there a long moment. Ashe sighed with relief and pulled away before pressing his forehead to hers and locking eyes. “I’m sorry I took so long.”

“I knew you would come. I never doubted you.” Magnolia smiled weakly and crushed Ashe under the force of her arms in another hug.

“I should have… I should have sold that damn thing so many years ago… now look what’s happened. Goddess, I’m so… such an idiot.” Tears began to gently fall down his cheeks. “Look what happened to you, what kind of brother am I?”

“Shut up.” Magnolia spoke softly. “Shut up. It doesn’t matter.”

And that was the end of that. 

“So touching. Well, I’ll be off. Nice doing business with you darlings.” 

Red slipped the ring back into the little pouch and slipped that into her own front pocket before running around the side of the car and climbing into the driver’s seat.

The trio watched as her ruby red car revved up and skidded off.

Felix watched the taillights of the car move through the darkness of the night, off into the distance.

~~~~~

She laughed. The gemstone was theirs at last! Ever since she was told about a surefire way to pay off her debts and finally be free of the ones so relentlessly chasing her… she had so much hope. Finally, she would be done and have enough money left over to retire into a nice sized mansion and live a life of opulence. Goddess, how she looked forward to it. Nothing ever went right for her but now… now she was free.

She had done ugly things to get here, beaten that girl and attempted to milk her for information but all of it was so worth it as she sped off towards freedom and money abundant. 

Then the headlights appeared in front of her and her tires exploded. She lost control of the wheel.

~~~~~

Felix smiled as a multitude of lights flared to life in the distance and the red taillights of dear Red stopped moving. Popping sounds reached his ears, even from here, and Felix knew he had won.

~~~~~

_ Last night~ _

Ashe left his office with a determined look, clutching the priceless heirloom to his chest.

Felix couldn’t simply allow this to happen; that gemstone belonged to Ashe Ubert and his siblings. Whatever it took, Felix would ensure it remained with them  _ and  _ that they rescued Magnolia Ubert.

Felix turned to the phone in his office and began to dial. Thank goodness he had the direct number, if this call went through an operator and was listened in to by a random person… it could spell trouble.

~~~~~

“What? What’s going on? Felix?”

“Let’s go.”

Felix began to walk briskly forward, on towards where Red’s car stopped. As he went, he couldn’t help but burst into a smile.  _ Got her.  _ Ashe and Magnolia followed incredulously behind, confusion evident on their faces. 

The walk didn’t take too long, Red had been stopped fairly close by; right where Felix knew she would be. 

As they neared, a familiar Pink haired man stood holding a gun towards Red’s head. “Good evening detective.”

“Evening Holst. I see you caught her, no problem.” 

“Of course… we owed you, honestly, we still do. This was the least we could do for you.”

“I have a personal stake in this too after all.” One of the car doors opened. Out stepped Claude Von Reigan in a suave black suit with a yellow dress shirt buttoned up and a black Homburg with a yellow ribbon atop his head. His iconic braid fell down the right side of his face, over his cheek. “You messed with Ashe, one of my dear friends and his family. You didn’t think you would just get away with that did you?”

Red stayed stoically silent despite the gun against the back of her head. 

“Nothing to say huh? Detective, would you like to unmask her?” Claude pulled out a cigarette and lit it before bringing it to his lips and taking a long drag. 

“I would.” Felix walked forward. As he approached Red, she spat at his feet, and struggled against the restraints holding her arms together; she only succeeded in knocking off her hat. Without anything to hold it back, a wave of beautiful brown hair billowed out and around her face, framing her mask. 

“Let me go! You’ll regret this. She’ll make you REGRET THIS!”

Felix ignored the girl’s screams and stopped in front of her. Gently, he reached up to her face and slipped his fingers under the rim of the mask before pulling it up and over her head.

Staring back at him with glowing green eyes, full of rage, was Dorothea Arnault- headliner at the Casagranda theater, supposed “friend” of Magnolia Ubert  _ and _ one of Edelgard Von Hresvelg’s senior Capos.

Claude whistled behind him. “The opera singer? The one who works for Edelgard?” 

“I told you… you would regret this. Edelgard will come for me, she’ll save me. I’m untouchable- you’ll be starting a war.” Her green eyes were wild, and her face a vicious sneer. Her hair fell into her beautiful features messily and made her look even more wild and empowered.

“No… I won’t.” a voice spoke up from behind Dorothea, Felix’s trump card. “I will be hearing an explanation.”

Dorothea’s wild eyes went wide as Petra, and then Edelgard, emerged from one of the cars. Edelgard’s expression was sad, her pale blue eyes were downcast and Petra wore an expression of disbelief. 

“Why Dorothea? Were you so greedy that you felt it acceptable to kidnap and harm another person? What compelled you to do this?” Holst lowered his gun from the back of her head as Edelgard stepped close. Dorothea fell to her knees and did not raise her head to face Edelgard. 

Edelgard’s red dress swayed with the wind and sea spray. “Why?”

“I… They would kill me. If I didn’t get them money- they were going to kill me. You wouldn’t be able to save me.” 

“Who?”

“I came here from the slums of the capital. My father was a drunk and my mother had a knack for drugs. Both of them racked up thousands in debt to gangs and the mafia and banks the city over. When they died… all that debt was pushed to me and I ran. If the gangs got a hold of me, they would have ensured I paid them back… one way or another.” Her voice held bitterness and a sadness deeper than Felix could fathom. “A few months ago… I received a severed pig’s head in the mail. Who but them would send that? They found me… they knew they could get to me.”

Edelgard knelt next to her, “I could have helped you. I could have paid the debts off. All you had to do was ask, this…” Edelgard gestured around her. “All of this… could have been avoided. I would have personally given you as much as you needed.” Edelgard placed her hands on Dorothea’s shoulders as Dorothea began to sob. “What a fool.” But she still pulled her into an embrace. Edelgard stroked her hair and allowed Dorothea to cry against her chest. “Did you honestly think I would let you be taken by some crime family in the capital?”

Edelagard held her a moment, consoling her. Holding her friend and Capo close. 

“You’re done. You may no longer work with me. I’ll pay off your debts…and free you of your burden... but you’re out.”

Edelgard released her and stood up as Dorothea watched from the ground with a face of utter despair. 

“No… please. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll hear no more. You’re lucky I don’t have you drowned in the river. Look at the damage you’ve done to someone else in fear for yourself.” Edelgard pointed towards Magnolia, beaten and bruised, tired and sore. “If you ever… do something like this again, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Edelgard…”

“It’s enough Dorothea. Give me your ring.”

Dorothea’s head fell as she slipped off her red glove and pulled off a ring with a bright red ruby from her middle finger. Dorothea clutched it for a moment before raising her hand.

Edelgard snatched it. “Dorothea Arnault, I release you from your duties. You are no longer of my blood or my family. You are on your own.” 

Usually… getting cut off by your boss led to a bullet in your brain and a Viking funeral down the river. Dorothea was lucky enough to leave with her life and freedom from the gangs who chased her. 

“Let’s go Petra.” Petra and Edelgard made their way back to their car, Edelgard didn’t turn to look once and Dorothea simply stared at the ground. “Detective, a moment.”

Felix walked over to her and she rolled the window down before whispering in a hush. “How did you know? You called and told me that I needed to be here… how did you know?”

Felix turned his back to the rest of the party who gave them a moment of privacy before unbuttoning his shirt a bit and revealing the bandages around his chest. “A strand of hair was out of place. She shot me… but as she ran from the constable’s whistle… her hair came undone from it’s hold in her hat. When she turned the corner I saw a part of her hair flow out from it and had a heavy hunch as to who it could be.”

“That was… a very serious gamble you took. If you had been wrong I would have been very annoyed indeed that you were accusing one of my highest ranked Capos of kidnapping and extortion. You are either one lucky man, or just plain stupid.”

“It was a well-calculated risk.” Felix smirked at the Mafia matron as he rebuttoned his shirt.

“You never cease to amaze me Detective… I hate to admit, but I owe you again. As much as I loved Dorothea… I can’t have loose cannons in my organization. Perhaps now though… she will be free of that dread and be able to live a normal life. That… is the most I can do for her after what she has done.”

“I think she will. Thank you for coming Lady Edelgard.”

“Just Edelgard is fine… we’re well enough acquainted now and I foresee a great many more meetings in the future. Well… be careful detective, the world is a dangerous place.” Edelgard rolled up the window and her car turned and sped off. 

Felix turned back to the group and found Ashe and Claude speaking in a hushed tone some distance away. Dorothea still knelt on the ground, eyes down cast. 

Claude leaned in close to Ashe though Felix couldn’t see what they were doing or hear what was said. Ashe turned red and glared at him, a funny sight, but nothing like the way his face looked a few moments ago on the pier. Whatever Claude had said, it only made Ashe Ubert flustered, not angry. 

“I’m glad you’re okay Miss Magnolia. Ashe has told me much about you.” Claude strode to Magnolia and in a most knightly display of chivalry, leaned over and kissed her hand. 

Magnolia blushed and looked over to her brother who simply shrugged; as if saying,  _ this is how he always is. _

Claude winked at her and she turned a healthy shade of red before he walked over to Felix and began to talk. “Well. That was something. I’m glad we could help. You’re welcome to visit  _ anytime. _ If you ever need help again… just ring me.” Felix nodded as Claude walked back to his car. Holst cut Dorothea’s restraints before following after him. “Oh and… feel free to hop in with Holst- he’ll deliver you to our underground hospital to tend to Magnolia. Wounds like that… legitimate hospitals would ask questions and everyone seems content to leave this under the cover of darkness… where it rightly belongs.” 

Holst gestured toward the car and Felix followed after with Ashe and Magnolia in tow. 

Magnolia stopped next to Dorothea as she passed and took off her purple headband, placing it on the ground in front of her. “I forgive you.” She uttered three simple words and she continued to walk. 

Dorothea reached down and took it in her hands before placing it on her head. It suit her, purple and red, beautiful colors to go together. Her eyes were sad, but she stood upright in her bright red ensemble and watched as the party drove off, back to their normal lives. 

Felix lit a cigarette in the passenger seat of the car. In the back seat, Magnolia rested her head on Ashe’s shoulder and seemed close to falling asleep already. Felix couldn’t blame her, she had had a difficult month, and there was no telling what awful things had been done to her in desperation. 

Ashe looked plainly exhausted himself… over a month of worrying was now at ease- his sister was returned to him safely and the ring, his precious heirloom, was still in his own hands. Felix had to smile, this was a job well done.

As the car drove off, leaving Dorothea behind, the sun began to peek over the horizon. It… was a brand new day.


	4. Smoke and Mirrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix finishes his tale and settles back into bed with Ashe. Hopefully, Ashe will forgive him his lies someday in the future.

“And there you have it, that’s the full story- gunshot wounds and my attempted assassination included.” Felix reached down to Ashe, still resting his chin on his chest, and pushed a stray hair out of his eyes, behind his ear. “You know the rest… Magnolia healed up and went back to school. You paid me. Dorothea left town. You had the Ubert emerald cut into three parts and made three earrings, one for you and both siblings. Then, weeks later you came back and asked me out on a date.” Felix smiled, “Then some weeks later after that…” Felix slid down and pulled Ashe further atop him, staring into his eyes. “You visited my office… and did the most _unspeakable_ things to me against my desk.” Their noses touched and Ashe smiled as Felix joined their lips. 

“Sounds… like it was quite the case.”

“It was. And all of it was worth it, especially ending up with you.” Felix moved his leg, in such a way as to rub against Ashe in a most pleasurable area. “Now… I think I’m owed a secret.”

Ashe laughed atop him and breathed a heavy sigh as Felix’s leg moved again, arousing him. “We had met. You came to the Golden Lute… while I worked there.”

Felix’s face twisted into a mix of surprise and confusion. “I what? We did?”

“Mhm…” Ashe reached down, trailing his fingers across Felix’s chest lightly, brushing past a nipple. “You were drunk… and were with a man wearing an eyepatch.” Ashe’s hand rubbed against the ridges of Felix’s abdomen, rubbing over scars and lean muscle. “You couldn’t take your eyes off me… I remember… I was wearing nothing but the slimmest lacy underwear that night.” Ashe's hand took hold of him and began to rub. Felix's eyes rolled back as the pleasure hit him. “You know… I never forgot you; I thought you were… stunning.” His finger trailed up Felix’s shaft and played at the slit. Felix sharply inhaled. “I was quite a hot mess when the club closed and you left…” 

This was… news to Felix. Dimitri must have gotten him drunk before he left the family and meandered him into the Golden Lute. Felix certainly didn’t remember it.

Ashe’s hand suddenly stopped. “Also. _Claude Von Reigan_ huh?”

Felix sighed, he shouldn’t have shared that.

“I’m not judging, silly… it’s just… same.”

“What?”

“Same. Look, sometimes… after dancing all night… I would need some assistance. Claude and I had a nice casual arrangement.” Ashe smiled a mischievous smile. “I’m not judging… just laughing at the fact that you and he… also…” Ashe laughed and Felix ran his hand through his loose hair.

Felix felt a finger rub against his entrance. Ashe leaned over and licked a nipple as his finger slipped in, drawing out a needy moan from his detective. “We should visit him sometime, both of us.” 

Felix laughed as another finger slid inside him. “Maybe we should…” But he couldn’t finish the sentence. Ashe pressed his tongue into Felix’s mouth while his fingers began to work him open.

Felix sighed and leaned back as Ashe entered him.

Few words were spoken for the rest of the evening. All that could be heard in Felix’s cozy apartment were the sounds of passion.

~~~~~

Ashe nestled into Felix and quickly fell asleep on his chest after their second round. As it was, it was later than they usually stayed awake; Felix’s story had run rather long. 

Felix held Ashe close, he was being hugged like a pillow. Ashe’s warm breath breezed over his chest. He was… beautiful while he slept. Felix smiled and watched him for a while, something he loved to do.

Yet… his face turned dark after a few moments… Felix couldn’t bring himself to tell Ashe the whole story.

The gunshot wounds… his side was indeed grazed. He had been shot in the leg. That last bullet though… had torn through his abdomen, narrowly missing a few vital organs. He could have very well died.

He definitely couldn’t tell Ashe that Dorothea Arnualt didn’t skip town… but rather was found face down in the mud with a bullet in the back of her head three days later.

Felix sighed and stared at the ceiling. 

~~~~~

It didn’t add up. 

Ashe had already paid him, Magnolia was safe and had returned to her normal school life. The case was solved. Dorothea kidnapped Magnolia and attempted to beat information on the whereabouts of the emerald from her. As it turned out, Magnolia had no idea about the existence of the ring, she was studying other old houses; House Gaspard wasn’t even on her list of genealogical studies.

Though, she had visited with Ashe when he came to pay. She had found the link between the Gaspard emerald and her family.

Nine generations back her family had fractured. The eldest Gaspard son Robert had a falling out with his bastard half brother Cedar. Cedar became enraged over some fight they had and stole the Gaspard emerald in the middle of the night before taking off. 

War soon broke out and after a shifting of borders, the two found themselves in different countries. Cedar took a new name for himself- Ubert. Robert Gaspard searched for his brother for his entire life and passed on the story of his bastard brother who stole their priceless heirloom, the Gaspard Emerald. 

Generations passed and the story became legend. Cedar Ubert never even told his family, wife, children, anyone, that he was the bastard Gaspard. When he died, his precious ring passed down to his eldest, and all the way down the line to Ashe Ubert- the distant relative of nobility. 

Magnolia was ecstatic to discover this, she had studied hard and finally solved the case of the origins of the ancient feud and ring. The Gaspard family had no idea what name Cedar had taken and since Cedar never did anything of note… the ring disappeared into memory. 

The two had left in high spirits, each wearing a shining green earring on their right ear. Felix was happy for them and not surprised that Ashe had the ring made into earrings. The value of the gem was slashed to likely less than an eighth of its original worth… but it was of little consequence. The Ubert siblings each had something to pass to their children, should they have any. 

Still… that realization had given Felix more questions.

Dorothea Arnault was dead. He obviously didn’t tell the Ubert siblings that. The media didn’t report on it; Edelgard bought their silence.

Felix thought she had the mysterious Vestra kill her but when Felix went to visit, he found Edelgard distraught and with bags under her eyes. 

_“She’s dead… I should have left her in the business. This is my fault. I should’ve done more. I’m such a fool.”_

Her cheeks were streaked with dried tears, Petra rubbed her back and looked dejected herself.

Lysithea had escorted him out of the office and told him that Edelgard had no intention to harm Dorothea. Edelgard had wanted Dorothea to live out her life- crime free and happy. 

It hadn’t turned out that way.

Dorothea couldn’t have been the one who attempted to kidnap Jesper Ubert three years ago, she hadn’t been in the city yet.

Dorothea wouldn’t have known that the Ubert family was in possession of a priceless gem.

Dorothea couldn’t be the mastermind behind this scheme. If Edelgard didn’t have her killed… the question became: who did? Who murdered Dorothea Arnault? She should have been able to live a comfortable life- debt free. Instead she was dead. 

Someone must have fed her information. She was the puppet hanging from someone’s strings. The moment she stopped dancing… the strings were severed.

It didn’t add up. Felix had already smoked an entire pack of cigarettes ruminating on it. This case was driving him insane- despite the fact that it was technically solved, closed and done. _It wasn’t truly solved._ The culprit was still out there. 

The door to his office opened. 

Annette stepped in with two cups of coffee, brewed extra strong, just the way they liked it. 

“You’ve been staring at that board for days, Felix. What has you so serious? Magnolia is safe, the case is solved.”

“Except it isn’t.” He hadn’t told Annette his concerns. 

“What do you mean?” Annette eyed him suspiciously.

“Dorothea Arnault is dead. She was murdered.” He proceeded to explain the discrepancies with the timing and that he suspected she worked on someone else’s behalf.

A string had been added to his board, connected to Dorothea, the new person X.

“Well… Maybe do some reading at the library? You always have good ideas there. Maybe she was related to someone on the Ubert or Gaspard side of the family or something.” 

“Hmmmm. Maybe.” Felix wasn’t convinced. Dorothea Arnault was self made and gained the money and status she had through singing and working with Edelgard. Felix doubted very much that she had any connections to the familiy… but at this point it was worth looking into.

He stood up and prepared to go out. Some fresh air _would_ do him some good. The walk to the library was a nice twenty minutes- not too far but far enough to clear his head.

As he put on his hat the phone in the reception box began to ring.

Annette dashed back into the other room, a crashing noise sounded and Felix knew his klutzy friend had tripped. “Stupid… ouch, dumb chair.” 

“Hello, Fraldarius Private Detective Agency, how may I help you?” 

Felix watched Annette talk to the man for a moment. As he was about to leave, she flagged him down. _It’s for you._ She mouthed. Felix rolled his eyes but nodded before stepping back into his office.

The call patched through. “Hello, Detective Fraldarius here.”

“Felix.”

_Dimitri._ Felix would recognize his voice anywhere. “What is it Dimitri?”

“Did… you ever catch the culprit?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?” It wasn’t strictly a lie anyway.

“I just received a letter. The anonymous emerald seller is backing out of the sale.”

Felix almost dropped the phone. “Do you mind if I come pick up that letter? I need it.”

“Not at all… I’ll have it sent over, that will be faster.” 

“Good. Thank you.”

“Felix… is everything okay? I thought you caught the kidnapper.”

_Only one half of them apparently._ “I have things I need to look into. Tell whoever you send to leave the letter with my assistant. Thank you Dimitri.” 

“I don’t like the sound in your voice. Something has you thinking rather deeply. Just be careful.”

“I will.” He hung up. The culprit knew the ring was a lost cause, that was good. The culprit was still at large, that was bad, very bad. 

“Annette, someone will be by in a few with a letter. Put it on my desk, I’ll look at it when I return.”

“Alrighty boss.”

Felix walked out of the building and into the brisk air. Out here… he had nearly been murdered himself. Right across the street Dorothea had taken shots at him and very nearly ended him. He would find out who killed her, free of charge. She deserved that at least.

~~~~~

Felix ended up at the city archives instead of the library. He was curious… whatever became of the Gaspard family? Could they be behind this? The current heir could have taken legends of a giant emerald seriously and sought out the family who held it. It wasn’t unlikely. Memory in the noble houses was long and often bitter. Some prominent families still had old feuds- nowadays they would pick opposite sides of the country and move away, far from one another. 

Gaspard… Lonato Gaspard, he was apparently the final living member of the family. The man was rather busy- he had seven wives and two children. Both had died young, only nine and twelve. They were apparently the product of his sixth marriage. 

The man had a fairly average length life and died in his early seventies. Notes about charitable contributions and public funding abounded. The man was a patron of anything he could be a patron of: arts, sciences, parks and recreational facilities. More than a few theaters across the nation had his name. 

He had founded an entire University on the southern coast by Old Enbaar: The Gaspard academy of the arts. On the western edge of the continent he had established a naval academy- he was a military type too, having served in the great war some fifteen years ago. 

He was a rather decorated war hero and had made it to the rank of Colonel by the time peace returned to the world. His death had heralded a large funeral in his home city.

All interesting but not exactly helpful… _Perhaps this was a waste of time._

Birth certificates for his children were here… marriage certificates too. Emilia, Margaret, Anna- all three of these had been divorced and the corresponding divorce certificate was on file. He had first married at twenty, again at twenty seven, and a third at thirty four. Doris and Eliza were next at age forty-seven and fifty respectively. They had both passed away of the epidemic that was flying around when Felix was young. Shirly… 

“What?”

Felix did a double take.

“What?”

The triple take didn’t change his eyesight. The name still read the same.

Felix dropped the file. _Mother of Seiros, Sothis, and the Archbishop himself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Who did it?


	5. Verisimo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix makes a vow that none but himself hear. He will bring the one responsible for this mess to justice, one day.

Felix stared at the ceiling, Ashe had been asleep for a while now. Felix knew he needed to sleep too but simply couldn’t shut his brain down. Recalling all of that tonight had placed him right back in that records room- right back in the moment he figured it out. 

She was still out there… in the city. She was still free, these years later. Dorothea had not been avenged yet, her killer and puppeteer was out there free, living the high life. 

Lonato Gaspard’s two children died of food poisoning. His sixth wife died in a tragic house fire. Felix doubted either was as circumstantial as that. 

Lonato Gaspard’s seventh wife was in that city during that age. It wasn’t unlikely that such an important person as her wouldn’t be invited for dinner and… slip something into the food. 

The fire in the mansion was deemed an accident and blamed on faulty light wiring. The investigation found a strange occurrence in the master bedroom. Under the bed was the remains of a hemp rope. Investigators chalked it up to a… spicy bedroom life of the couple. 

If the wife was restrained, the fire would easily burn her alive. Lonato had been away- opening the University that weekend. 

Within two years he had remarried for the final time. 

She was a household name. Few people didn’t know her.

Felix whispered into the air. “I will bring you to justice.”

All the evidence he had was purely circumstantial. He couldn’t present a flimsy case to the constabulary- they would laugh in his face. 

She was the only link between so many different variables. Dorothea worked for her. She was the surviving widow of Lonato Gaspard, who tragically died of a rather sudden “cold.” She had access to the pertinent information through her current husband… Hanneman Von Essar. She would know of the Ubert siblings through him- he taught them in University.

She was the sole inheritor of the Gaspard fortune since the Gaspard children had died.

She was in the city three years ago when Jesper was nearly kidnapped.

Felix stared at the ceiling and scowled. “Manuela Casagranda…” 

Those words were a quiet vow, he would bring her to justice, one way or another. Until then, he would be here- thwarting her plans and protecting people as best he could.

Ashe turned over and pressed Felix into the bed. 

Felix couldn't help but smile, at least one good thing had come from this whole mess. Ashe's face was calm and serene as he slept, angelic even, perfect.

For his sake too, and his siblings, she would be brought down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest... shall come with time. I hope you have enjoyed reading this, I had a BLAST writing it and cannot wait to come back and add more files. I hope you look forward to it- until then- let the smooth jazz soothe you.

**Author's Note:**

> All 5 chapters are being posted TODAY. I won't be filling every notes box for every chapter so I'll see you at the end friends- enjoy~
> 
> I'm not sorry for calling the series Felix Files. I loved Forensic Files growing up and it just fit so perfectly XD
> 
> You can find me on [ Twitter!](https://twitter.com/TsarAlek)


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